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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Treat Options Psychiatry. 2014 Mar 22;1(2):107–120. doi: 10.1007/s40501-014-0010-9

Table 2.

Targets and compounds currently in clinical development

Compound Mechanism of
action		 Example Target symptoms Development
stage/status
Glycine site agonist Stimulates NMDAR at glycine; D-serine binding site Glycine; D-serine Persistent negative symptoms; neurodegeneration in early psychosis Phase II/ ongoing studies
Glycine reuptake inhibitor Increases synaptic glycine levels by blocking Glycine Type 1 Transporters Bitopertin Suboptimally controlled symptoms; neurodegeneration in early psychosis Phase III; No significant effects on negative symptoms; ongoing studies for suboptimal response
Metabotropic type 2; 3 receptor agonist Inhibits presynaptic glutamate release by stimulating presynaptic mGluR Pomeglumetad Early psychosis; neurodegeneration Phase II/III; No significant effects on total symptoms; potential effects in early psychosis
Metabotropic type 5 receptor agonist Potentiates postsynaptic NMDAR function VU0092273 [95] Negative symptoms; cognition Preclinical
Alpha7 nicotinic agonist Stimulates presynaptic glutamate release EV-6124 Negative symptoms; cognition Phase III for Cognitive Impairment Associated with schizophrenia